Rebekah Burns

After leading the Powell Economic Partnership, Powell Chamber and Powell Visitor Center over the past five years, Rebekah Burns is moving on.

Though an exact departure date has yet to be determined, Burns will leave her post as the nonprofit’s executive director in the coming months. She recently moved back to Maryland to be close to family members, but is filling the position remotely to ensure a smooth transition.

In an interview, Burns said she’ll miss the friends and business connections she’s made here.

“It’s just been my pleasure to serve the Powell community,” she said.

Burns has served the Powell Economic Partnership (PEP) for over eight years, starting as the visitor center coordinator. She was among the staffers who helped merge PEP with the center and chamber in 2017, and she moved into the executive director role in the spring of 2020.

“I think the thing that I was able to bring to the organization is just a laser focus on what makes Powell special,” Burns said.

Outdoor rec and aerospace

She honed in on areas like agriculture, travel and tourism, also incorporating a number of projects aimed at boosting outdoor recreation.

As just one example, PEP has been working to design a potential walking/biking path between Garland and Ralston that would run alongside the railroad.

In promoting recreation, “the strategy is then to recruit small businesses like retailers and tour guide providers, and then ultimately recruit a manufacturing company to town,” Burns said. “But we first have to create that culture here in Powell …”

Businesses also need more space to grow. When PEP recently surveyed local business owners, Burns said almost half of the respondents said they wanted to expand and didn’t have the room.

That’s one reason why Burns has been pushing for the expansion of the Powell Municipal Airport. She believes that, after building more hangars and bringing in aviation-related businesses, PEP can help recruit other manufacturers to utilize the vast amount of available land around the facility on Polecat Bench. 

PEP plans to soon host a reception for those who may be interested in relocating to the airport, Burns said, and the organization may seek state and federal grants to install infrastructure at the facility, including water and sewer service. 

While aerospace hasn’t traditionally been a big part of Powell’s economy, she sees great potential.

Available space downtown

While leading PEP, Burns said she generally wasn’t able to help businesses find space in Powell’s downtown area, because “we have always been 100% full.”

Bent Street has recently seen several storefronts become vacant — most significantly when One Health moved to bigger quarters near Powell High School and when Ace Hardware similarly moved its store to the larger building that previously housed The Market grocery store. While their departures have created a void downtown, Burns said their expansions are “a very good sign of health.”

Further, “if you go down the street [Bent Street], there has been huge amounts of dollars of business development and growth and also new businesses coming into town,” Burns said. “So I think the hole of Ace can be shocking to people, but it will fill, I guarantee.”

Bringing in business

Over the years, she said PEP has helped bring in new businesses. Longtime PEP board member Kelly Spiering worked to recruit Torgerson’s Equipment, Burns said, and more recently, she said the organization worked with the City of Powell to help the animal health company Moo Juice move to town.

“Everybody wants to see that we have recruited, you know, a large business with lots of jobs,” Burns said, “and the reality of it is, in a town the size of Powell, the best work that I am most proud of is clearly communicating Powell’s assets, clearly understanding and communicating the industries where Powell can really be additive to the region and the state.”

She said PEP is well-positioned to recruit businesses in the future.

“Economic development is a generational endeavor, right? It takes a long time to grow assets and to attract businesses …,” Burns said. “So I’m happy to kind of pass the baton on.”

Looking to the future

In a recent letter to members, PEP board chair Rachel Vardiman pledged a smooth transition to a new leader.

“While players may come and go, PEP is dedicated to a bright economic future for generations to come,” Vardiman wrote.

The next director will have a slightly different role, being asked to emphasize “membership management and direction.” However, PEP leaders said in a Monday news release that they remain focused on economic development and may consider hiring a separate “economic development specialist” in the future.

In her letter, Vardiman expressed thanks for everything Burns has done for the organization — praising her leadership and drive, and her willingness to work remotely while the board seeks a new director.

PEP has listed a salary range of $65,000 to $80,000. Duties include providing strategic leadership for PEP, the chamber and visitor center, driving economic development initiatives, growing and retaining chamber membership, overseeing the organization’s fundraising and finances and acting as a community ambassador.

The posting describes the job as “a rare opportunity to guide impactful projects that shape the future of Powell Valley and Park County.”

Vardiman said the position will remain open until PEP finds someone who is both qualified and a good fit for the Powell community.